Louisville 4-star freshman Trentyn Flowers leaves program for pro route

The prized recruit from Kenny Payne’s 2023 recruiting class has already left the program.

On Monday afternoon, Louisville four-star freshman small forward Trentyn Flowers announced on social media that he is leaving the Cardinals before ever playing a game and will instead suit up for the Australian professional league, the National Basketball League (NBL), for the 2023-24 season. He will be part of the league’s “Next Stars” program.

The 6-foot-8 Flowers committed to Louisville in March after reclassifying from 2024 to 2023. He had been with the team throughout the summer and was expected to play an immediate role on this season’s squad.

Payne, who is about to enter his second season as head coach, released a statement shortly after the news was announced, indicating that he was informed of Flowers’ decision earlier on Monday while adding that he is “certainly disappointed in his decision and the timing.”

Lets GO! pic.twitter.com/6FusMcf9EJ

— Trentyn Flowers (@FlowersTrentyn) August 14, 2023

Louisville’s 2022-23 campaign was arguably the worst in school history. The Cardinals went 4-28 on the season (2-18 ACC), their fewest amount of overall wins since the 1940s. There’s been hope that the 2023-24 season will take a step up though. Payne added six freshmen over the summer (highlighted by Flowers) and three transfers to bolster the roster, one being former Kentucky commit Skyy Clark.

But with Flowers now headed down under, a new question mark has popped up. Louisville has still brought in 7-foot-1 four-star center Dennis Evans, but the remaining freshmen are ranked outside of the top 75 in the country and the few returning pieces aren’t considered to be All-ACC caliber. Additionally, one of those incoming rookies, four-star point guard Ty-Laur Johnson, has reportedly yet to make it on campus. Louisville begins classes on Monday, August 21.

It could be another rough stretch for Kenny Payne this season.